Insurrectionist Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) defended the Nazi salute as conservatives continue to terrorize school boards across the country over mask mandates and critical race theory during a pandemic that has killed over 700,000 Americans.
Masks protect people from contracting and spreading the coronavirus, something Cruz would know if he had an ounce of scientific literacy. Yet, right-wing parents are threatening and abusing school board members for supporting mask mandates that keep students and staff safe because Donald Trump and his supporters turned science into part of the Republican culture war.
At one school board meeting, one parent even went so far as to deliver a Nazi salute, which is apparently fine with Cruz, who defended it as free speech even though he said the opposite when black NFL players kneeled in protest of police brutality.
“My God! A parent did a Nazi salute at a school board because they thought the policies were oppressive,” Cruz said during a hearing. “General Garland, is doing a Nazi salute at an elected official, is that protected by the First Amendment?”
Attorney General Merrick Garland, who thus far has been soft on Trump and his accomplices, agreed.
But Cruz went on to defend his defense of Nazi salutes on Twitter:
Lefty journos are either (1) dishonest or (2) not very bright (or both).
The parent was doing the Nazi salute because he was calling the authoritarian school board Nazis—evil, bad & abusive.
And yes, calling someone a Nazi is very much protected by the First Amendment. https://t.co/35lyiQpinN
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 27, 2021
There is no excuse for anyone using a Nazi salute. It’s indefensible, especially since Cruz sang a different tune when professional athletes knelt during the National Anthem, which is protected free speech.
It should also be pointed out that Cruz didn’t condemn the Nazi salute, just as he has refused to condemn the insurrection that he helped incite to overthrow democracy.
Americans ripped him a new one in response.
Ted Cruz just defended a Nazi salute at a school board meeting in Pittsburgh on the anniversary of one of America’s most horrific antisemitic attacks.
11 lives were lost 3 years ago from extremism rooted in language like this.
Hate speech begets hate crimes. https://t.co/9XXCfhTfG7
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) October 27, 2021
A political party where defending a Nazi salute is gonna earn you points with supporters is no longer a legit party, it’s fascism. P.S, I hope some Texans remind Ted Cruz who we fought in WW2. @SenTedCruz
— NoelCaslerComedy (@caslernoel) October 27, 2021
WTF!!! @tedcruz defending a nazi salute? Ted, we always knew this about you. How dare you do this on the 3 year remembrance of the Tree Of Life shooting. https://t.co/610c6ZeXjw
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) October 27, 2021
When Texans needed help, Ted Cruz ran away to Mexico.
When people get in trouble for giving the Nazi salute, Ted Cruz does everything in his power to serve people giving a Nazi salute.pic.twitter.com/uGhMLcBBHU
— Grant Stern is fully vaccinated (@grantstern) October 28, 2021
Ted Cruz: fvck you. There is no defending the Nazi salute.
You’re a pig.
— Eric Rosen (@erosen1) October 28, 2021
Ted Cruz will defend a Nazi salute but not an athlete taking a knee.
— Blue Texas 🇺🇸⚖️🗽 (@BlueTexas6) October 28, 2021
Ted Cruz just defended the nazi salute to our Jewish Attorney General. In case you were wondering what his priorities are right now.
— ✡️🦁 Spooky Jewish Boy | נתן (@BadJewishBoy) October 27, 2021
Texas Republicans & the First Amendment:
-Texas House members sent letters to school districts trying to intimidate them into complying with a banned-book list aimed at people of color & the LGBTQ community,
-While Ted Cruz (.@tedcruz) defends the Nazi salute in DC.#txlege
— Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) October 28, 2021
.@tedcruz You should be ashamed, on this 3rd anniversary of the antisemitic murders at Tree of Life synagogue to be vociferously defending those who use the Nazi salute to threaten school board members. It may be protected, but it is despicable & you know it.
— Rabbi Jill Zimmerman (@RabbiJill) October 27, 2021
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